Automatic electric fuel-mixture regulator



A. A. LOETSCHER.

Patented N (W. 30, 1920.

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WITNESSES O 2 //VVE/VTOR g- 29 AMA. Loeisclzer:

A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVIN ALBERT LOETSGHER, OF BILLINGS, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR. OF ONE-HALF To GEORGE GEORGILAS, 0F IBILLINGS, MONTANA.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC FUEL-MIXTURE REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30,1920.

Application filed March 24, 1920. Serial No. 368,410.

' being supplied to the cylinder by the pumping-effect of the piston, the velocity of the entering gases depends upon the engine speed and as the draft diminishes it will not pick up as much fuel as when it is traveling at a higher rate. The present type of compensatingcarbureter, which is usually a carbureter provided with a Venturi type of mixing chamber provides for a sufficiently rapid flow of gas at low speed by constructing the mixing chamber bore at the spray nozzle-so that the gas speed will be sufficiently high when the engine is pumping slowly. The reduced diameter of the mixing chamber increases the velocity of the gases, because the cylinder'must be filled through a smaller hole in a certain unit of time than would be thecase if the bore were larger. Therefore, to insure a full supply reaching the cylinder, the gases must" pass the top of the jet at ahigh rate of speed even if the piston is working slowly. In view of these features not enough air will be drawn in at high speed, and it isnecessary to supply it through an auxiliary opening. Heretofore in the art the means that have been employed to control the auxiliary opening so as to maintain it closed at low speeds while permitting it to open at high speeds have not been found effective and efficient in practice.

An object of my invention is to provide an automatic electric fuel mixture regulator of this character under the control of and responsive to the. speed of the engine to effectively vary the proportion of the hydrocarbon or other combustible and of the air whereby the fuel mixture or charge delivered to the cylinders is accurately propor tioned and of proper composition as to provide for perfect combustion and maximum power at all engine speeds.

Another object is to provide an improvement of this kind of simple and durable construction, highly reliable in operation, and easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages reside in the certain novel features of, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts which will become apparent as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing my dev ce applied to an internal combustion engine;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the auxiliary air,

inlet valve and control therefor; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates the cylinders of an internal. combustion engine which may be of any conventional type and preferably embodies an electric generator 6, shown as consisting of a magneto, but which may comprise a dynamo or the like, and which is driven by gearing 7 from the crank shaft (not shown), of the engine. The intake manifold 8- leads to the cylinders of the engine, and communicating with the manifold is an induction pipe 9 from the carburetor 10, of standard construction. c

Between the carbureter and the intake manifold the induction pipe 9 is provided with an auxiliary air inlet 11 preferably in the form of a short pipe and provided at its outer end with a conical valve seat12. A conical valve 13 is arranged to cooperate with the valve seat of the auxiliary air inlet. A panel 14 of insulating material is bolted or otherwise secured to the side of the internal combustion engine. Electromagnetic means, indicated generally at 15, preferably in the form of a solenoid, is mounted upon th panel by means of the supporting plates 16. The solenoid comprises windings 17 and a laminatedcore '18, the windings being disposed between the heads 19." The windings of the solenoid are connected in series with the electric generator, 6, as shown in Fig. 1. Pivoted at 21 to'the panel is the armature 22 of the solenoid. The armature has intermediate its ends and adjacent the laminated core of the solenoid, an inwardly extending boss 23 adapted to strike against the laminated core when the armature is attracted by the magnet.

The outer end of the armature 22 carries the valve 13, the latter being secured thereto in any suitable manner.

Spring means areprovided for maintaining the auxiliary valve 13 closed at low engine speeds. This means consists of a post 24 having a threaded aperture therein for operative engagement with the adjusting screw 25. The adjusting screw 25 has a knurled head 26 for manipulation and has its outer end provided with a smooth and reduced extension 27. At the juncture of the reduced extension and the threaded portion, the adjusting screw is provided with an annular collar 28. A compression coil spring 29 bears at one end against the armature 22 and at its other end against the collar 28 of the adjusting screw, the reduced extension 27 extending into the spring. The end of the spring bearing against the armature 22 is seated in a suitable recess formed.

in the armature.

When the engine is started at low speed the motion transmitted to the armature of the electric generator is of relatively low velocity and the electro-motive force gen erated being correspondingly small the current through the electro-magnetic means is also of relatively small value. .Conse quently, the intensity of the magnetic field is not sutficient to attract the armature 22 and open the auxiliary valve against the action of the spring. At the rate of speed at which sufiicient air would not be admltted to the cylinder, the current through the electromagnetic means is relatively high and generates a magnetic intensity of such value that the armature will be attracted against the action of the spring and the auxiliary air valve opened to provide for the admis sion of the additional air.

I claim:

1. In a device ofthe character described, an internal combustion engine, an electric generator associated with said engine and driven thereby, a fuel supply for said engine including an intake manifold, an auxiliary air inlet to said manifold consisting of a short pipe provided with a conical valve seat, a conical valve adapted to cooperate with said seat for controlling said auxiliary air inlet, means for operating said valve cosisting of electro-magnetic means including a solenoid connected in series with said electric generator, an armature operatively associated with the solenoid and carrying the valve, a coil spring engaging said armature opposite said short pipe for maintaining said valve in closed position at relatively low engine speeds, and means for regulating the valve including an adjusting screw having a reduced extension entering into the coil spring and a collar constituting an abutment for the coil spring.

2. In a device of the character described, an internal combustion engine, an electric generator associated with said engine and driven thereby, a fuel supply for said engine including an intake manifold, a panel carried by said internal combustion engine, an auxiliary air inlet to said manifold consisting of a short pipe having its open end overlying said panel and provided with a conical valve seat, a conical valve adapted to cooperate with said seat for controlling said auxiliary air inlet, means for operating said valve and consistsing of electromagnetic means including a solenoid carried by said panel and connected in series with said electric generator, and an armature ivoted to said panel and operatively associated with the solenoid and carrying said valve, a coil spring engaging said armature opposite said short pipe for maintaining said valve in closed position at relatively low engine speeds, and means for regulating said valve, including a post carried by said panel and havinga threaded aperture, an adjusting screw operatively engaged in the threaded aperture and having an end entering mm the coil spring and a collar constituting an abutment for the coil spring.

ALVIN ALBERT LOETSCHER.

Witness J. W. SNELLBACHER. 

